Sir Mark Rowley’s comments come as the Mayor of London urged the Government to consider decriminalising cannabis possession for personal use.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said drug use is a “big issue” for communities, driving anti-social behaviour and acquisitive crime, and that a change in the law on cannabis is “not something we’re calling for”
His comments follow a report by the independent London Drugs Commission (LDC) which calls for decriminalisation of small amounts of natural cannabis.
The LDC, chaired by Lord Charlie Falconer, found that current laws on cannabis are “disproportionate to the harms it can pose” following a study of how the drug is policed around the world.
Decriminalisation has been backed by Sir Sadiq Khan, who set up the LDC in 2022, with the mayor saying current laws on cannabis possession “cannot be justified given its relative harm and people’s experience of the justice system”.
The Met commissioner seemed to be opposed to the plans.
During an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme Sir Mark said: “At the moment we see drugs being at the centre of a lot of crime, whether it’s drug dealing … is so linked to violence, the county lines we close down – over 80% of the people behind those lines have got violent backgrounds.
“We see a lot of communities complaining about public drug use, and that’s a big issue in terms of anti-social behaviour.”
He added: “We’re chasing around people who are using drugs in public, which is a concern to communities. We see drug users becoming addicted and that driving acquisitive crime. It’s a big part in our current operations.”
Some MPs seem to be against modernising cannabis laws with the Labour parties Matthew Pennycook telling Times Radio on Wednesday morning: “The mayor is obviously entitled to his view on the matter but the Government position on cannabis classification remains unchanged.
“We have no intention of reclassifying cannabis from a class B substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act, and our focus is continuing to work with partners across health, policing and wider public services to drive down drug use, ensure more people receive timely treatment and support, and make our communities and streets safer.”
Even with such archaic laws and attitudes about cannabis held by those in power, the UK is the biggest exporter of medicinal cannabis in the world.
